Dispensing device



T. M. JONES DISPENSING DEVICE July 4, 1933.

Filed July so, 1951 grave/Mot 1m 11. Jones.

Patented July 4, 1933 UNITED STA TILMAN M. J ONES, OF HUNTINGTON PARK,CALIFORNIA DISPENSING DEVICE Application filed July 30,

This invention relates to dispensing devices for bulk commodities suchas liquid soap.

N One of the featuresof the invention is a 9 dispensing device in whichthe discharge tube and control valve are located at an acute outwardangle whereby to provide a free flow for the liquid downwardly and forthe replacement air upwardly.

Another feature of the device is the pro vision of a structure in whichthe externally exposed portions of the control valve assembly may beeasily and quickly removed for cleansing without the liquid beingpermitted to flow out.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a control plungerin the discharge tube, having a minimum contactwith the tube so that theresistance to movement is slight and so that the gummy soap sub-= stanceor hard soap materials which precipitate from liquid soap will notinterfere with the proper operation of the plunger.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in a soap dispenserof this character a self-cleaning valve ball mounted in such amannerthat it will rotate in response to the lifting thereof from a valveseat, and which 1 valve ball is so placed relative to the lifting meansthat the force of the liftingmeans is applied eccentrically to the ballso that rotation and self-cleaning of the ball is there by furtherassured.

Further features of the invention will appear in the course of thefollowing specification and claims. An illustrative form of presentingthe invention is set forth in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the dispensing device andits op.- erating I parts Figure 2 is a corresponding view, in anotherposition of operation, the reservoir having been removed;

45 Figure 3 is a perspective view of the opinclined downwardly andforwardly at an 1931. Serial No. 554,117.

which receives the reservoir R for the material to be dispensed, such asliquid soap. A packing gasket 13 may be interposed in the usual way. Thebottom wall 14 closes the ring 12 and has a downwardly inclined conicalwall leading to a central aperture providing a valve seat 15 for a ballcheck valve 16. This aperture terminates in an internally threadedconnection 17 having its axis angle which preferably is about 15. Thedischarge tube comprises a reduced portion 18 having threaded engagementwith the connection 17, a conical flare 19, a shoulder 20 and anexpanded portion 21 providing a chamber. The expanded portion 21 hasscrew-threads at its front end for the recep tion of an internallythreaded ring 22 havingan-inwardly directed flange 23 with the flaredoutwardly directed wall 24. v

The plunger comprises an externally projecting operating knob 25, a stem26, a body 1 27 having conical ends or valve closure portions 28, 29,and the three radially extending fingers 30 having an external diameterslightly less than the internal diameter of the expanded portion 21, andan inner stem 31 having radially extending fingers 32 with an externaldiameter slightly less than that of the discharge tube portion 18. Theradially extending fingers or guide members 30 form a guide means forthe lower end of the lunger at a point within the outlet valve seat 241of the chamber formed within the lower or front tubular wall 21, and theradial fingers 32 engage the upper or inner tube portions 18 to providea guide means for the upper or inner portions of the plunger. Thefingers 30 and 32 being relatively narrow, and having very smallengagement with'the walls 18 and 21, are not prevented from movement bythe presence of viscous fluids in the chambers formed within the parts21 and 18; therefore, means are provided for guiding the plunger so thatit may operate for long periods of time without sticking as the resultof precipitation of heavier soap materials in the dispensing valvestructure.

' In operation, the device at rest is in the po sition shown in Figure 1in which the coni- III cal portion 28 of the body fits against the innorwall or valve seat of the flare 24. The discharge tube is thereforesealed at both ends, and the liquid is held against escape. Thehelical-spiral spring 40 is supported at one end against the internalwall of the shoulder 20 and at the other end rests against the radiallyprojecting fingers 30 of the body 27 When the plunger knob is pushedupward along the line of the axis of the dis charge tube, it is guidedby the fingers and 32. The upper end of the inner stem 31 eccentricallyengages the ball 16 and forces the latter from its seat (Figure 2). Ifthis be the first operation after the reservoir R has been filled andreplaced, liquid now flows downward into the connection 17 and thereduced portion 18 of the discharge tube, but is retained by theengagement of the conical portion 29 of the plunger body 27 with theflared wall 19, and the charge is thus measured off. When the knob 25 isreleased, the plunger is returned angularly downward by the spring sothat the portion 28 is again seated against the fiare 24. The separationof portion 29 from flare 19 permits the liquid in the connection 17 andin the reduced portion 18 to flow downward into the chamber within theexpanded portion 21, and liquid enters the same in a quantity determinedby the capacity of the discharge passages in portions 17 and 18 untilthe check valve 16 regains its position. The ball 16 is so mounted thatwhen it is raised from the closed position, shown in Fig. 1, to the openposition,- shown in Fig. 2, it may roll to one side, and the pin 31 isso positioned relative to the ball 16 that the ball 16 is eccentricallyengaged,

with the result that there is a positive rotation of the ball 16 eachtime it is raised. The purpose of mounting the ball so that it mayrotate and so that it will be further positively rotated, is to keep theball relatively clean. Heavy, gummy, or hard soap material precipitatesfrom the reservoir R and settles on the upper portion of the ball 16around the edges thereof and on the upper face of the wall 14. Rotationof the ball prevents the building up of a heavy layer of such materialon the ball and its effectiveness as a valve closure means is therebypreserved.

A new upward movement of the knob 25 will now return the parts to theposition shown in Figure 2 and the liquid contained within the chamberof the expanding portion 21 will flow out through the aperture in theflared wall 24 and into the hand which has just operated the knob 25. Anew quantity is simultaneously measured into the reduced portion 18 andthe connection 17.

This operation can be continued so long as the reservoir R containsliquid. While in the position shown in Figure 2, air can flow freelyupward out of the reduced portion 18 and 7 the connection 17 in thereservoir, and by reason of the inclination of the discharge tube, theair and the liquid are separated in their lines of flow and there is arapid refilling of the discharge tube. Likewise, the air enteringthrough the upper part of the aperture in the flared wall 24 does notconflict with the outward flow of liquid through the lower portion ofthis aperture. A similar segregation of air and liquid occurs during therefilling of the chamber in the expanded portion 21 (Figure 1). I V

By unscrewing the ring 22, the ring and its walls 23 and 24 may bewithdrawn, and the plunger with its stem and body is freed for removalfrom the discharge tube along with the spring 40. The aperture in theflared portion 24 is greater than the diameter of the knob 25, and hencethese parts may be read ily separated for cleansing. WVhilethe plungoris removed, the ball check 16 remains seated on the wall 15 and preventsflow from the reservoir R. The parts'may be easily replaced by insertingthe spring and the plunger and then threading the ring 22' back intoposition. V A

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the form ofconstruction'shown but that it may be modified in mechanical ways in thescope of the appended claims.

What I claim:

' 1. A dispensing device for. use with a reservoir having'an aperture inits bottom including a ball in said reservoir of greater density thanthe dispensed material to close said aperture, a'discharge tubeextending downward from said aperture and having an'outlet at itsbottom,a spring and a plunger movable axially in. said tube; said plungerincluding an operator portion extending through said outlet, a stemportion normally positioned eccentrically beneath said ball and movableto displace said ball from said opening with arotary motion thereof, a:valve portion for closing said outlet when said plunger is in normallowermost position, and a second valve portion for closing said tubebetween the aperture and the outlet when said plunger is moved upwardly,said spring being located in said tube and reacting between said plungerand tube to hold said plunger normally in its lowermost position.

2. A dispensing device foruse witha reservoir having an aperture in itsbottom, in cluding a ball for normally closing said aperture, said ballbeing adapted to roll to one side as it is raised from said aperture, adis charge tube extending downward from said reservoir and communicatingthrough said aperture with the interior of said reservoir, saiddischarge tube including an expanded portion providing a chamber and ashoulder at the upper end of the chamber, a plunger movable axially insaid discharge tube and including upper and lower valve members, saiddischarge tube providing cooperating valve seats for selective closureby said plunger in its end positions' of movement, there the chamber andbeing provided with an outlet and a second valve seat at the lower endof said chamber, a plunger includingpluralities of radially extendingfingers for guidingly engaging the interior wall of said chamber and thewall of said tube, said plunger includ{ ing a manually operable stem,projecting through said outlet, there being a discharge space aroundsaid stem, and a stem for displacing said ball from its seat and alsoincluding valve members for engaging said valve seats, and means formovin said plunger outwardly in said discharge tube.

a. A dispensing device of the character described, including: an outletmember having an upper chamber and a lower chamber with an outletopening at the lower end thereof, there being upper and lower valveseats at the respective upper and lower ends of said lower chamber; abody in said lower chamber having an upper valve closure member adaptedto engage said upper valve seat and a lower valve closure member adaptedto close said lower valve seat; an upper stem extending from said bodyinto said upper i? chamber, there being projections on said stem forguiding the same longitudinally of said outlet member; an actuating stemextending outwardly from said body through said outlet opening;projections on said body for guiding the same longitudinally withrespect said outlet member; and a spring for normally moving said bodyin downward direction to resiliently maintain engagement of said lowervalve closure member with said lower valve seat.

5. A dispensing device of the character described, including: an outletmember having an opening adapted to receive liquid from a reservoir,said outlet member having an upper chamber and a lower chamber with anthere being radially extending fingers on said stem'for guiding the samelongitudinally of i said outlet member; an actuating stem extendingoutwardly from said body through said outlet-opening radially extendingfingers on said body for guiding the same longitudinally with respect tosaid out-let member; a spring for normally moving said body in downwarddirection 'to resiliently maintain engagement of said lower valveclosure member with said lower valve seat; and a ball adapted to seatdownwardly in the mouth of said upper opening I of said outlet memberand to be engaged and raised by the upper end of said upper stem. 1

6. A dispensing device'for use with a reservoir having an aperture inits bottom, includmg: a ball in said reservoir of greater density thanthe dispensed material to close said aperture, said ball being adaptedto move laterally when it is moved upwardly from said aperture, adischarge tube extending downward from said aperture and having anoutlet at its bottom, a spring, and a plunger movable axially in saidtube, said plunger including an operator portion extending through saidoutlet,v a stem portion normally positioned beneath said ball andmovable to displace said ball from said opening with a rotary motionthereof, fingers on said plunger and said stem portion for centralizingthe same relative'to said discharge tube, a valve portion for closingsaid outlet when said plunger is in normal lowermost position, and asecond valve portion for closing said tube between the aperture and theoutlet when said plunger is moved upwardly, said spring being located'insaid tube and reacting between said plungerand tube to hold said plungernormally in its lowermost position.

7. A dispensing device for use with a reservoir having an aperture inits bottom, includ ing: a'check ball for normally'closin'g saidaperture, a discharge tube extending downwardly from said bottom andcommunicating through said aperture with the reservoir, a

thereon positioned on a line of movement eccentric to said ball wherebyto eccentrically engage and displace said ball from said'apen ture whenthe plunger is in its upper position, a manually operable externallyprojecting member connected to said plunger for actuating thesame, and aspring for normally urging said plunger into position for closmg saidvalve seat.

8. A dispensing device for use with a reservoir having an aperture inits bottom, including a ball for normally closing said aperture,

a discharge tube extending downwardly and I communicating through saidaperture with the reservoir, said tube including a wall port1onproviding a chamber havmg valve seats plunger is in its lower positionand a stem displacing the ball from said aperture and causing it to rollto one side when said plunger is in its upper position, and means forreturning the plunger to its lower position. 7 V

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.-

TILMAN M. JONES.

